A toxic substance in workplace health and safety is any material capable of causing harm to health through exposure, ingestion, or inhalation.
Any chemical or material capable of causing injury, illness, or death when it enters the body through inhalation, ingestion, or skin contact, at a sufficient dose. Toxicity can range from mild irritation to severe systemic or long-term health effects.
A laboratory technician handling a toxic solvent works under a fume hood and wears chemical-resistant gloves to prevent inhalation and skin contact during transfer procedures.
Toxicity is typically established through laboratory and epidemiological research, often summarized in a substance's SDS, which details the dose levels and exposure routes associated with health effects.
Acute toxicity refers to harmful effects from a single or short-term exposure, while chronic toxicity results from repeated or prolonged exposure over time, sometimes to effects that appear years later.
Common controls include substitution with less hazardous materials, engineering controls like ventilation, administrative controls such as limiting exposure time, and PPE as the last line of defense.
Part of SafetyIQ's EHS glossary: plain-English definitions of workplace health and safety terms.
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